Study: Best Cities to Make Friends

Top 10 Cities to Meet People and Make Friends

In high school and college, making friends was relatively straightforward. The kid down the street, the one sitting next to you in chemistry, or your freshman-year roommate were all good candidates for BFF. But after college, things get more complicated, particularly if you move to a new place where you know exactly no one.

Just how difficult it is depends on where you live. Some cities make the job of making new friends easier than others. The following list reflects the 10 best cities for making friends.

Study Methodology

Looking at U.S. metropolitan areas with populations over 1 million, we considered three factors:

Philanthropic giving

Walkability

Stability of the population

We first considered the overall character of a city’s residents by the percentage of disposable income they give to charity, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. After all, we want to make friends with nice people, and people who give to charity are also more likely to be involved in community organizations where they can meet likeminded folks. On average, residents of the cities we considered give away 4.5 percent of their disposable income.

Second, we evaluated how easy it is to meet your neighbors. For this, we looked at urban areas’ “Walk Score,” a measure of how close attractions like coffee shops and grocery stores are to most locals. Seeing the same people week after week at the corner bar or convenience store is bound to lead to some personal connections. The average Walk Score for the cities we looked at was 55.9.

Last, we considered how stable local populations are, based on Census data showing the percentage of residents who have been in the same home for five years. People who are “just passing through” town are less likely to be interested in building local connections. None of us want to see our new besty pick up and move across the country. The average stability rating for the cities was 49 percent, meaning just under half of local residents have stayed put for half a decade.

1. New York, NY

“Friendliness” isn’t the first word you might use to describe New Yorkers, but residents of this area have a lot going for them when it comes to making friends. It’s almost impossible not to bump into lots of interesting people at neighborhood destinations, given the best-in-the-nation Walk Score of 85.3. People in the Big Apple are also likely to stay put for a while, with 57.5 percent having lived in their residence for at least five years. And New Yorkers are also relatively generous; placing 15th on the list of charitable donations by residents, they give away 4.6 percent of their disposable income.

2. Baltimore, MD

Like New Yorkers, Baltimore residents have a bit of a reputation for toughness — especially among fans of TV show The Wire. But people in this cosmopolitan city are remarkable for their generosity and stability (placing 11th and 8th in those rankings, respectively). Baltimore is significantly less walkable than New York and San Francisco, but it’s still above average for that measurement.

3. Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital is number five among all cities we reviewed when it comes to charitable giving — perhaps related to the huge number of nonprofits that are headquartered there. It’s also extremely walkable — so much so that owning a car would seem silly in some neighborhoods. Stability is actually slightly below average in D.C., but the city makes up for it with the other metrics.

4. Los Angeles, CA

The big surprise about LA for many people who know it only by reputation is just how walkable it is. While you could easily spend hours in a car trying to get from one side of town to the other, lots of restaurants and shops are just a few blocks from many residents’ doorsteps. The city also scores higher than average in terms of generosity and stability, which means it should be easy to find friends at that corner coffee place.

5. Philadelphia, PA

It may be no surprise that the City of Brotherly Love scores well when it comes to friendship. Philly is tied with Detroit for number two among all the cities we looked at when it comes to stability (number one was another Pennsylvania city, Pittsburgh). It’s also number five for walkability, with a variety of neighborhoods that have their own characters. The city scored less well when it comes to philanthropy as residents give away just 4 percent of their disposable income.

6. Chicago, IL

Chi-town could be Philly’s Midwestern sister, with numbers quite close to the Mid-Atlantic metro center on all three counts. It’s a highly walkable, unusually stable metropolitan area with a slightly below-average level of charitable giving. As the region’s major urban center, Chicago has a lot going on, which means that once you’ve made those new friends, you’ll find plenty to do together.

7. Minneapolis, MN

Speaking of the Midwest, Minneapolis also lands in the top 10 for both walkability and stability. In this city, your apartment is likely to be close enough to neighborhood destinations that you can easily become a regular. It’s also relatively stable, although it does suffer a bit in the giving area, with residents donating just slightly less than average.

8. Detroit, MI

Barely holding onto the name of Motor City, this area has hit hard times in some respects, but it also has remarkably stable communities. A strong majority of residents have lived in their current home for more than five years. Its scores for walkability and charitable giving are average.

9. Miami, FL

What could be more appealing than beach trips and Cuban food with new friends? The only Florida city to make our list, Miami is the ninth most walkable urban area in the country. Miami residents are pretty average in terms of generous giving, but they tend to stay put more than the typical urbanite, so you could keep those new beach friends for years to come.

10. St. Louis, MO

St. Louis is the third Midwestern city on our list (though some might classify it as Southern), which lends some credence to the stereotype of the region’s residents being particularly friendly. Like Chicago and Minneapolis, St. Louis is a stable, walkable place, though charitable giving is slightly below average. The city has a reputation for being more laid back than its coastal counterparts and a good place to raise kids. Friendships made here could continue in the next generation.

Making friends can be tough no matter where you live. Ultimately, what matters most is having an open attitude, a positive outlook, and a genuine interest in other people. But it’s also true that different cities have different cultures that may make it easier or harder to build new relationships.

Once you’re settled in a city and spending time in restaurants or clubs with new friends, check out the CreditDonkey guide to the best credit cards to help you figure out how to pay for all that fun.

Livia Gershon is a contributing writer at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and financial education website. Write to Livia Gershon at livia@creditdonkey.com. Our data-driven analysis has been recognized by major news outlets across the country and has helped families make savvy financial and lifestyle decisions. (read more)

What's a friend worth this holiday? Most people plan to spend under $25 on gifts for friends this year, according to a recent CreditDonkey.com survey on holiday shopping trends. Nearly three-fourths of respondents picked that answer over larger ...

Articles on Study: Best Cities to Make Friends

We’ve all experienced an awkward money moment at one time or another. Whenever it happens to me, I find myself attempting to hide a strained expression while trying really hard not to let something as frivolous as a few bucks interfere with our ...

Comments about Study: Best Cities to Make Friends

Matt Nelko from New York

on December 12, 2013 1:31 AM said:

Typical egghead "study" that doesn't take real life into consideration. I've lived in New York City for 20 years and I can tell you from personal experience (and my own observations as a network television reporter and producer) that this is the WORST place to make friends. Why? Among the top reasons are the fact that the population here is so transient, and that just to live here, unless you're in the elusive so-called "1%", you're too busy working your ass off just to pay the rent to have time to have a social life. Most people here don't even have time to meet new people, let alone properly cultivate friendships.

Daniel Andrews

on December 14, 2013 7:01 AM said:

Well, I guess those are great places to make friends if you are on the left side of the political spectrum. The only one of the 10 that I would WANT to make friends in, is St. Louis, and that's because I live here at the moment. But, I (and others) have found them to be very slow to warm to outsiders (anyone who didn't at least go to high-school here or marry someone who did - seriously, in this town, the question "where did you go to school?" literally means HIGH school, not college). They would NOT like to be called Southern, or even Mid-western (although the latter is hard to deny). The city's history is filled with examples that they wish they were an old-money, east-coast city, and they are mad that they are not. They coulda' been the powerhouse that is Chicago, but Chicago beat them to it 130 years ago, and that made 'em mad, too. You can still "feel" both of those vibes here today.

Ashley

on January 2, 2015 5:31 PM said:

So I live in NYC now, I'm super outgoing and friendly and have always been able to make a ton of friends and I've been here for 10 mos and have been completely unable to make a single real friend. NYC is great for making friends for one night and it's great for one night stands, but not for anything meaningful or consistent. Let's say you hit a bar, or an event, you'll meet great people for sure, but for one night only and you will probably never see them again because they will be too busy with their overwhelming and time consuming professions and their event hopping. The majority of the city is single, you'd be lucky to get pass three dates without it turning into a random booty call you see once every month when they're wasted! Too many options and too fast paced to have real friendships or relationships. You have to be rich...and I mean RICH to hang out every night to try to meet people and make friends. I've lived in 3 other major cities and NYC is by far the WORST place to make friends! I'm actually considering moving again because I didn't think I'd feel so lonely here. I was dating a wonderful guy for a few months and I thought FINALLY...AT LAST! but it turns out, he wasnt a New Yorker, he was only here on business from Europe (figures!! He was a sweet innocent newbie and the city hadn't turned him into the ultimate bachelor yet!). He was the only person here who made me feel like I wasn't alone but now that he's gone back home it sucks big sweaty balls!! And I met a few other girls. One only parties at raves and the other says she doesn't have any friends either but she's always working crazy hours and we can never hang out. My coworkers are super busy and married with kids so they aren't interested in being too friendly! They have to run home to diapers and dinner! Anyone who reads this looking for friends should stay away! One guy told me that it took him 3 years to make real friends in the city! 3 freaking years in a city with 10 million people cramped up on top of each other!!! My God! It only took me a few months in other large cities. The one great thing about the city is that there are so many things to do and you do meet a lot of wonderful and eclectic people. But as I get older, I'm learning that wonderful experiences can be somewhat meaningless if you don't have special and close people to share them with. So I will be leaving soon. This is a weekend city that you travel to to party with friends, not to live! Or it's atleast a city that you move to when you already know a bunch of people who know a bunch of people or you work such long hours that you don't notice that you're single and friendless....Good riddance!

Comments may be filtered for language. CreditDonkey makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. These responses are not provided or commissioned by bank advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by bank advertisers. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. Visitors may report inappropriate content by clicking the Contact Us link.

About CreditDonkey® CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison website. We publish data-driven analysis to help you save money & make savvy financial decisions.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

†Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which CreditDonkey receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CreditDonkey does not include all companies or all offers that may be available in the marketplace.

*See the card issuer's online application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However, all information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button you can review the terms and conditions on the card issuer's website.

CreditDonkey does not know your individual circumstances and provides information for general educational purposes only. CreditDonkey is not a substitute for, and should not be used as, professional legal, credit or financial advice. You should consult your own professional advisors for such advice.